Means for opening carton folding closure flaps



Feb. 3, 1959' R. c. TRUlNl 2,371,540

MEANS FOR OPENING CARTON FQLDING CLOSURE FLAPS Filed D80. 18, 1957 I 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, RICHARD C. TRU|N| his attorneys.

Feb. 3, 1959 R. c. TRUlNl 2,371,640

MEANS FOR OPENING CARTON FOLDING CLOSURE FLAP-S Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 H 4 INVENTOR,

RICHARD C. TRUINI his attorneys.

Unite States Patent ll/IEANS FOR OPENING CARTON FOLDING CLOSURE FLAPSice 26 has one end slidably mounted in an opening or bore 28 in theclamp which carries a set screw 30 for securing the rod inlongitudinally adjusted position or'height. The

Richard C. Truini, Newark, N. Y., assignor to Bloomer gros. Company,Newark, N. Y., a corporation of New ork Application December 18, 1957,Serial No. 703,602

3 Claims. (Cl. 53-382) This invention relates to carton opening devicesand, more particularly, to means for opening the closure flaps offolding paperboard cartons to prepare them for filling with fluid orsemi-fluid contents, such as ice cream and similar comestibles. Suchcartons are commonly manufactured with one' end open for receiving thecontents and provided with folding flaps for closing the opening afterfilling and are commonly manufactured also in ing, so as not tointerfere with such application of the opening to the nozzle. One objectof the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for rapidlyeffecting such outward folding of the closure flaps, so that the tops ofthe side walls forming the carton opening are presented closely to thenozzle for rapidly, accurately and cleanly filling the carton.

The sanitary regulations governing the manufacture and use of such foodcontainers commonly prohibit contact of the hands with the innersurfaces of the carton which come into proximity with the food contentsand another object is to provide a device having the above advantagesand adapted to quickly fold the carton flaps outwardly without anycontact of the hands with the flaps in filling the carton, and withoutcontact with the inner surfaces of the flaps in the subsequent closingand securing of the flaps to close the carton opening.

Still a further object is to provide a flap closing means of the abovecharacter having a simple and efiicient construction adapted to bereadily and economically manufactured and conveniently installed andused.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a fiap opening device embodying thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is an outer end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, partlybroken away and showing the carton as initially or partly applied andfolded, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the carton as fullyapplied and folded.

The preferred embodiment of the invention, herein disclosed by way ofillustration, comprises a carton flap opening means such as described,with a suitable support in the form of a clamp 20 formed with a fixedjaw 22 and a coacting spindle 24 threadedly engaged in an opening in theclamp and adapted to be turned by hand for securing the clamp to asuitable portion of a machine or work bench, as hereafter furtherdescribed. A rod ro'd has its upper end turned at an angle and threadedfor insertion in an opening in one end of a carton receiving guide meansor body 32, with lock nuts 34 and 36 for rigidly clamping the body tothe support.

Body 32 is preferably of hollow metal construction and adapted to havethe open end of the carton 38 fitted telescopically over its outer orfree end, as shown. Such cartons are commonly erected, as referred toabove, with their closure flaps positioned in extension of and in theplanes of the respective carton side walls to which they are foldablyconnected, and the purpose of the present invention is to fold theseflaps outwardly and downwardly toward the respective carton side walls,below the plane of the carton opening, so as to clear the tops of theside walls for application directly to a dispensing nozzle for fillingthe carton cleanly to its top and for wiping the nozzle to eliminatedrippage. Body 32 is preferably of generally rectangular or other shapein cross section and adapted to fit closely within the body of a cartoneither of the same size from top to bottom or of a shape taperinginwardly from top to bottom. Whether the carton sides are straight ortapered, body 32 is preferably tapered inwardly towards its outer orfree end to facilitate the sliding of the carton telescopicallythereover.

Several of the side walls of body 32 are each provided at their innerends with an outwardly flaring member or plate 40. The inner end of eachplate is secured to the inner end of the body side wall as by means ofscrews 42, with interposed spacers 44 which separate the inner end ofthe plate from the side wall to form the throat 46. The other or freeend of the plate is flared outwardly away from the body as at 48 andprovided with a hinged element or tip 50. The tip is preferably pivotedto the plate by a spindle 52 provided with a spring 54 coiled thereaboutand having its ends bearing against the plate and tip in a direction tourge the tip outwardly away from the body. The body is preferably formedwith an opening 56 in which the free end of the tip may swing inwardlytoward the plate end 48 and the outer end 58 of the opening ispositioned to serve as a stop for limiting the outward swinging of thetip to a position at which it is inclined outwardly at an angle of about45 to the body wall, as shown.

In the use of the device, the open end of the erected carton has itsflaps extended in line with its side walls, as described, and is fittedover the outer end of the body 32 and slid telescopically inwardly ofthe body, with the result that its flaps engage the tips 50 and arethereby deflected outwardly, as shown, the spring actuation of the tipsbeing strong enough to turn the flaps outwardly, as described. withoutmoving the tips. However, as the carton body is further advanced, therelatively stiff tops of the side walls engage the tips 50 and swingthem inwardly to positions against the inner sides of plate ends 48, sothat they serve as guides for directing the top edges of the cartonwalls into the throats 46. The tops of the side walls carry their flapsat their folding connections therewith into the throats, with the resultthat the flaps are folded backwardly adjacent the outer sides of thecarton walls, as shown, with sufiicient pressure to impart to the flapsa set which they substantially retain when the carton is withdrawn, soas to lie somewhat preferred to provide each wall of body 32 with aplate 40, theplate may be omitted from one, or. more of the. walls ifdesired.

The opening of the carton flaps as described and the filling of thecarton. are. accomplished by holding the carton: adjacent its bottom andwithout any contact of the hands with the closure flaps. After filling,the: flaps remain projecting from the carton. side. .wallsat asufficient angle so that they may be: readily'raised by-engagement withtheir outer surfaces, by hand or other known means, and folded andsecured: in overlapping position so as toclose the carton opening. 'Suchmanipulation of. the flaps-is thus accomplished without any contactofthe hands with the inner; surfaces of the. flaps which are brought. intoproximity-with the. cartoncontents, so as to fully comply withthe-sanitary regulations commonly governing the-handling of such-food.cartons toprevent contamination of their inner, surfacesandfcontents.

While the device-has been described as comprising one form of. support,it is contemplated that body 32 may be otherwise suitably supported andin, conjunction, for example, with a carton-erecting machine suchasdisclosed in Tobey-Patent, No.'2,759,401 in place of the means theredisclosed for feeding the erected cartonand opening its flaps.

The invention thus provides asimple andreifective means: for rapidly andconveniently folding; the carton flaps outwardly. and downwardly tofully clear; the carton opening for presentation directly and closelytothe nozzle or other. source of supply so that it can be'.quickly,accurately and cleanly'filled with the intended contents and thedispensing nozzle wiped clean of" any excess extrusion, without soilingthe cartonor spilling the filling material. This is accomplished in awaywhich insures compliance with the applicable sanitary regulationsrequiring handling and filling the carton withoutcontact of; the handswith the inner carton surfaces. In addition, the invention provides adevice having the above advan: tages; in a. simple and practical formof, construction adapted, to be readily and economically manufacturedandconveniently installedandzused.

It will thus. be seen that the, invention accomplishes its objectsandwhile. it: has been. herein; disclosed. by reference to thedetails of apreferred. embodiment, itz. is to be understoodvthatsuch disclosure-is.intended in;an illustrative, ratherthan a .limitedtsense, as it iscontemplated that various modifications in the construction andarrangement of the parts will readily occur to those. skilled in the.art, withinthe spirit of theinventionand. the scope of the appended.claims.

I claim:

1.v Ina device for folding outwardly the closure flaps foldablyconnected withthe sidewalls of a paperboard carton, for foldingsaidfiaps from a position in extension of and. parallel with said sidewalls to-aposition extending outwardly below the plane of the cartonopeningto clear said opening for filling, a support, meansomsaid supportfor engaging and guiding the carton side walls during movement thereof.relative to said guide means, members on said guide means each formingtherewith a throat, and spring actuated elements pivotally mounted onsaid members and normally inclined outwardly in the direction ofmovement of the carton for engaging said flaps during the cartonmovement and folding said flaps to positions inclined outwardly from thecarton walls, said elements being movable by the engagement therewith ofthe carton side walls to swing said elements inwardly toward saidthroats, said carton side walls and their respective: flaps beingmovable into said throats for pressing and folding said flaps intoproximity with said side. walls.

2. In a device for folding outwardly the closure flaps foldablyconnected with the side walls of a paperboard carton, for folding saidflaps from a position in extension of and parallel with said side wallsto a position extending; outwardly below the plane of the carton openingto clear saidropening for filling, a. support, a form body on saidsupport shaped'to fit within and guide the carton side walls duringtelescopic movement of the carton over said. body,.members on said bodyeach forming therewith a throat, and elements pivotally mounted on saidmembers andspring actuated topositionsinclined outwardly in thedirectionrof-movement of. the carton for engaging said flapsduring the.carton movement and folding said flaps topositions-inclined outwardlyfrom the carton walls, said elements being movable by the engagementtherewith of the carton side walls to swing said elements inwardlytoward said throats, said carton side walls and their respective flapsbeing movable into said throats for pressing and. foldingv said flapsinto proximity with said side Walls..

3.. In adeviceforfolding outwardly the closure flaps foldably connectedwith the side walls of. a paperboard carton, for folding-said flaps froma position in extension of and parallel with said side walls. toaposition extend.- ing outwardly below. the plane of the carton openingto clear said'opening'for filling, a support, a form body on saidsupport shaped to fit within and guidethe carton side walls duringtelescopic movement of the carton over said body, plate members on andinclined outwardly from said body and each forming therewith a throatand plate elements pivotally mounted on said members and springactuatedto positions inclined outwardly in. the direction of movement ofthe carton for engaging said flaps *duringthe carton movement andfolding said flaps to'positions inclined outwardly from the cartonwalls, said elements beingmovable bythe engagement-therewith of thecartonside walls to swing said elements inwardly to form guides to saidthroat, said carton side walls. and

their-respective flaps being movable into said throatsfor pressing andfolding 1 said flaps into proximity with said side walls in position forthe filling of the carton.

No references cited.

